as Christians, and really established a special relation
between the emperor and the church. For his services to the cause of
Christianity he well merited the title of "the Great," bestowed upon him
by Christian historians.

III. THE DYNASTY OF CONSTANTINE: 337-363 A. D.

*Constantine II, Constans and Constantius, 337-340 A. D.* Constantine's
plans for the succession were thwarted by the troops at Constantinople,
who, instigated, as was said, by Constantius, refused to acknowledge any
other rulers than the sons of Constantine and put to death the rest of his
relatives, with the exception of his two youthful nephews, Gallus and
Julian. Constantius and his two brothers then declared themselves Augusti
and divided the empire. Constantine II received Spain, Gaul and Britain,
Constantius Thrace, Egypt and the Orient, while the youngest, Constans,
took the central dioceses, Africa, Italy and Illyricum. However, this
arrangement endured only for a brief time. The peace was broken by
Constantine, who encroached upon the territory of Constans, and affected
to play the role of the senior Augustus. However, he was defeated and
killed at Aquileia by the troops of Constans, who annexed his dominions.

*Constantius and Constans, 340-350 A. D.* The joint rule of Constantius
and Constans lasted for ten years. The latter showed himself an energetic
sovereign and maintained peace in the western part of the empire. At
length, however, his harshness and personal vices cost him the loyalty of
his own officers, who caused him to be deposed in favor of Magnentius, an
officer of Frankish origin (350 A. D.). And while Magnentius secured
recognition in Italy and the West, the army in Illyricum raised its
commander, Vetranio, to the purple.

*Constantius sole emperor, 350-360 A. D.* From 338 A. D. Constantius had
been engaged in an almost perpetual but indecisive struggle with Sapor II,
king of Persia, over the possession of Mesopotamia and Armenia. It was not
until late in 350 that he was able to leave the eastern frontier to
attempt to reestablish the authority of his house in the West. He soon
came to an agreement with Vetranio, who seems to have accepted the title
of Augustus solely to save Illyricum from Magnentius. Vetranio passed into
honorable retirement, but when Constantius refused to recognize Magnentius
as Augustus the latter marched eastwards to enforce his claims. He was
defeated in a desperate battle at Mursa